Quiz: Howstuffworks

Can You Pass This Basic True/False SAT Word Quiz?

Brittany Rowland

Image: damircudic / E+ / Getty Images

About This Quiz

There are few standardized tests in the United States as intimidating as the SAT. College-bound high school students across the country submit themselves to a grueling three-hour exam to attain the highest score they can, hopefully one high enough to impress their dream school's admissions committee.

With so much emphasis placed on performing well on the SAT, students often practice for months in advance with test prep books as thick as the phone book. (Those are really, really thick books, for those of you who have never seen a physical phone book). Students also try to memorize the dictionary because you never know which complicated words will show up on the reading part of the test. It's best to simply memorize all the words.

If this description of the SAT is making you break into a cold sweat as you remember those days of fervid studying and memorizing, fear not! This quiz has a basic true or false format, therefore giving you a greater chance of guessing correctly than the poor young souls taking the actual SAT!

﻿So are you ready to flex those brain muscles? Are you anxious to prove yourself an erudite scholar, no matter how many years ago high school was? Then proceed, highly literate person, and see how you stack up against an SAT test taker!

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Is it true or false that "noxious" means harmful or poisonous?

True

False

Synonyms for "noxious" include poisonous, unpleasant and toxic. It comes from the Latin word "noxa," which means harm. Now if only we could get rid of that noxious smell in the fridge ...

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A "talisman" is payment for completed work. Is this true or false?

True

False

You might be thinking of the word "remuneration." A "talisman" is actually a magical item believed to bring good fortune. If you bring a lucky rabbit's foot to the SAT, you have a talisman!

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The word "covert" means calm and peaceful. Would you agree or not?

Yes

No

"Placid" means calm and peaceful, but something "covert" is secret or concealed. It can also be a noun, meaning a covering or a hiding place. Sometimes students pass notes covertly.

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To "bilk" someone means to cheat or swindle them. Are we pulling your leg or not?

You're not pulling my leg — this is true.

You are pulling my leg — this is false.

The word "bilk" originated in the 1600s, but no one's sure how it came about. Synonyms for "bilk" include "swindle," "fleece," "dupe" and "rook." Stay smart; don't fall prey to a bilker!

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A "labyrinth" is an elaborate maze. True or false?

True

False

The Labyrinth of Greek mythology was the domain of the fearsome Minotaur. Labyrinths have also appeared in "The Shining," "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" and, well, "Labyrinth."

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Would you say it's true or not that to "abrogate" means to cuddle or snuggle?

True

False

You're possibly thinking of the word "nuzzle." Cats like to nuzzle, not abrogate! "Abrogate," which has a Latin origin, means to repeal or officially abolish something, like a law.

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Something "reprehensible" is very shameful or bad. Are we telling the truth or telling a whopper?

Truth

Whopper

If your principal ever used the word "reprehensible," you knew you were in big trouble! It's a big word, meaning "blameworthy" or "culpable." A judge might call a defendant's crime reprehensible.

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A "plaudit" is religiously offensive speech. Is this sentence true or false?

True

False

While "blasphemy" is speech that offends religious sensibilities, a "plaudit" can mean either strong praise or a round of applause. It comes from the Latin "plaudite," meaning "applaud."

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Is it true that "lacerate" means to hurry or go faster?

True

False

You might be confusing "hasten" with "lacerate." To "hasten" is to hurry, but to "lacerate" means to tear something (usually skin) jaggedly. It can also mean to hurt someone emotionally.

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A "tawdry" item is cheap and gaudy. Are we being truthful or not?

Truthful

Not truthful

"Tawdry" things are showy and of poor quality, like costume jewelry you might find at a rummage sale. If you want some synonyms for "tawdry," try "meretricious," "chintzy" and "garish."

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"Blatant" means obvious. True or false?

True

False

When something is "blatant," it's glaringly obvious. In other words, you can't possibly miss it. "Blatant" can also refer to an annoyingly loud noise. Turn down that blatant music, whippersnapper!

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If you call someone "obdurate," you mean stubborn. Is this true?

True

False

You wouldn't want to be called "obdurate." It means stubborn or unyielding, or even hardhearted. The word comes from the Latin for "hardened." Synonyms include "obstinate" and "callous."

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A "lachrymose" person is arrogant and proud. Will you deign to answer true or false?

True

False

Actually, "haughty" means arrogant. "Lachrymose" means tearful, like audiences at the end of "Avengers: Endgame." Remember that your lachrymal glands are responsible for producing tears.

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True or false: does "plethora" refer to boredom?

True

False

You're likely thinking of the word "tedium," which means boredom. A "plethora," on the other hand, is an overabundance. As in, there's a plethora of sequels and reboots at the theaters lately.

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To "repudiate" means to renounce or deny. Is this true or false?

True

False

"Repudiate" is a strong word to use when you have to reject something as untrue. So when your friend falsely accuses you of taking the last cookie, you can repudiate that repugnant lie!

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To "obfuscate" means to decline to vote. Will you agree to answer true or false?

True

False

To decline to vote is to "abstain." To "obfuscate" actually means to purposely make something hard to comprehend. Do you agree that instruction manuals tend to obfuscate the directions?

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Someone who's "abstemious" is carefree. Is this statement true or false?

True

False

A carefree person could be called "blithe." But "abstemious" means self-denying, like the sad person who turns down dessert when everyone else is enjoying luscious chocolate cake.

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"Lackluster" means dull or monotonous. Are we yanking your chain or not?

No, you're not yanking my chain.

Yes, you're yanking my chain.

"Lackluster" can mean either lacking in vitality, as in a mediocre performance, or lacking brilliance, as in a dull stare. One thing's for sure: your performance on this quiz isn't lackluster!

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To "temper" means to recoil or flinch. Would you call this the truth or a lie?

Truth

Lie

You might think of "temper" as a state of anger, leading you to cringe or flinch. But "temper" is also a verb, meaning to soften something. Your mom might temper criticism with words of love!

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If you call something "abstruse," it means difficult to understand. True or false?

True

False

"Abstruse" is a fancy way of saying "hard to understand." It can also mean esoteric, or only meant for people with special knowledge to comprehend. Good synonyms are "enigmatic" and "obscure."

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A "laconic" person talks a whole lot. Is this the gospel truth or a dirty lie?

Gospel truth

Dirty lie

It's easy to get "loquacious" and "laconic" mixed up! But while "loquacious" means talkative, "laconic" means being brief and to the point. We hope our skydiving instructor is laconic.

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To "plummet" means to destroy or eradicate. Are we telling a falsehood or not?

Truth

Falsehood

Something that "plummets" to the ground may end up destroyed, but you're probably thinking of the word "obliterate." To "plummet" means to drop sharply or plunge, like lemmings jumping off a cliff.

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Is it true that an "accolade" is praise?

True

False

You'll hear the word "accolade" a lot during Oscar season, when films vie for those coveted awards. It also describes tapping a man's shoulders with a sword to make him a knight. Rise, Sir Bedivere!

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A "hedonist" is a clumsy person. Is this statement true or false?

True

False

You can call your klutzy friend a "bungler." A "hedonist," on the other hand, is someone who seeks out pleasure, like college students flocking to the beaches for spring break.

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When something is "tentative," it is flimsy or fragile. Are we telling the truth or not?

True

False

Don't you hate it when someone makes "tentative," or uncertain, plans with you? That is, "Maybe I'll come to your party, but I'm not sure. I may need to wash my hair." "Tenuous" means weak.

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Is it true or false that to "curtail" means to cut short?

True

False

When you "curtail" something, you abridge it or cut it short. A baseball game can be curtailed on account of baseball-sized hail. Synonyms include "truncate," "lop" and "retrench."

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To "lampoon" means to ridicule. Will you kindly tell us if we're right or wrong?

Right

Wrong

Many popular comedy sketches, like those of "SNL," lampoon celebrities and politicians. That is, they satirize or mock the person's behavior or traits. The word can be a noun or a verb.

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A "nuance" refers to a subtle shade of meaning. True or false?

True

False

If you've written an essay or two for English class, then you know there are often "nuances," or subtleties, in the words you choose. The word "nuance" comes from the French "nuer," which means "to shade."

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Something that is "acrid" is deeply moving. Are we being honest or not?

Yes

No

"Poignant" can describe something deeply moving, but "acrid" means pungent or extremely bitter. It's a handy word because it can describe a smell, a taste or that super sarcastic person you know.

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A "boorish" person gets right to the point. Is that true or false?

True

False

"Boorish" people are so ill-mannered and coarse that they will burp at a dinner party or insensitively joke about a friend's job loss. A "terse" person, in contrast, is brusque or concise.

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Is it true or not to say that an "epistle" is a letter?

True

False

Yes, an "epistle" is a written communication, like the Epistles of the Bible. And an epistolary novel is written in the form of letters, like Stephen Chbosky's "The Perks of Being a Wallflower."

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"Hiatus" is a form of writing with pictures. Can you decide if that's true or false?

True

False

Maybe you're thinking of "hieroglyphics"! A "hiatus" is a pause or a break in continuity. How do you cope when your favorite show is on hiatus? Maybe you take a hiatus from work ...

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Someone who is "timorous" is inflexible. Yea or nay?

Yea

Nay

"Adamant" means inflexible, but "timorous" means fearful or cowardly. Think of its similarity to "timid." We can't all be brash and boisterous like Tigger; some of us are more like Piglet!

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"Brawny" is another way of saying muscular. Are we being truthful or fibbing?

Truthful

Fibbing

Like the lumberjack-looking guy on the paper towels packaging, "brawny" means strong or muscular. Women can be brawny too. Just ask Sarah Connor, Ellen Ripley or Brienne of Tarth!

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People who "equivocate" speak ambiguously. True or false?

True

False

Have you ever tried to skirt around taking the blame for a mistake? You probably "equivocated," meaning you used unclear language. "No, officer, I rolled through the stop sign, but I didn't run it!"

"Acuity" refers to sharpness. Is that sentence true or false?

No, you're not calling someone a cutie, despite how the word sounds! You may have heard the word "acuity" in reference to a person's mental or visual sharpness. Synonyms include "acumen" and "wit."

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Another word for briefness is "brevity." Can you quickly tell us if that's true?

True

False

"Brevity is the soul of wit," as Shakespeare noted in "Hamlet." Being brief, concise or succinct certainly has its advantages, like when you have to shout, "Where's the fire extinguisher?"

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"Deference" is another way to say "hardship." Is our nose growing like Pinocchio's?

It's a foot long!

Your nose hasn't changed.

If you're trying to say hardship, use the word "adversity." "Deference" means yielding to the wishes of another person out of respect. Courteous people show deference to their elders.

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